PotoRec Recovers deleted files only

Using PhotoRec to recover lost data
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flint72
Posts: 1
Joined: 20 Jan 2016, 17:04

PotoRec Recovers deleted files only

#1 Post by flint72 »

Hi.

I have installed PhotoRec for Windows today, and am trying to use it to recover files from a corrupted MicroSC card (in particular, a Samsung 32GB MicroSDHC UHS-I Card).

The MicroSD card is used in my phone, and has many photos and some audio files that I would greatly appreciate getting back.

My card recently started having a corrupted filesystem error. When I insert it into the card reader of my laptop, I get a prompt asking me to format the card (I have not yet done so for obvious reasons).

I have read the online documentation and examples, and found them quite helpful. I was able to (somewhat) successfully run photorec_win, however it only recovered those files that had been deleted. As you may guess, these are the very photos that I deleted since I did not want them (they were inferior versions of similar photos).

In the [documentation](http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec ... space_only) it says that I should be able to select to scan the entire partition, however when using the application (version 7.0) I am given no such option. Rather, as soon as I select the file-system type it next prompts me for the directory that I would like to write the recovered files to.

Now, given that it does perfectly recover those files that had been deleted, it suggests that I could format the card, and then recover the entire thing, which would hopefully give me all of the files back, that is, both those files that I deleted, and those which are 'currently still on' the card. However, formatting the card seems like a risky idea, so I do not want to do it unless one is sure that it will work.

Does anyone have any suggestions please?

Thank you!

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Fiona
Posts: 2835
Joined: 18 Feb 2012, 17:19
Location: Ludwigsburg/Stuttgart - Germany

Re: PotoRec Recovers deleted files only

#2 Post by Fiona »

Did you scan Free or Whole Space?
When you use the option Free, only deleted files would be recovered.
Whole space scans the entire space of your disk or partition and will recover every supported file.
Tip would be, you can use the menu FileOpt and press s to deselect all file types and you can only mark these file types like jpg, mp3 etc.. which you'd like to recover.

Fiona

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